A Sandwich A Day: The Heebster at Russ and Daughters

In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know.—The Mgmt.

[Photo: Robyn Lee]

What is a Heebster? I first encountered this Heebster ($8.45) on the sandwich menu at Russ and Daughters, below the Mensch but above the Super Heebster. This Heebster has multiple dimensions of spread: a full-bodied whitefish and baked salmon salad rests lightly on a bed of horseradish dill cream cheese. There are a few sandwich architecture issues; at the slightest bit of bagel pressure, everything comes smushing out the sides. But the point of Heebsterdom, if I can infer anything from the Hipster code of ethics, is all about messiness. Or, according to Lisa Alcalay Klug, who wrote "Heebster, Know Thyself," a Heebster is "much more than bagels and loxy. It's about moxie, about feeling yiddishe foxy!"